What Are The Qualities Of Good Passing Techniques In Soccer?

Passing is a crucial aspect of soccer; without it the game could not be played. You can make a pass in a number of ways, including with the inside and outside of your foot, with your instep and even with your heel. Passes can travel along the ground or in the air. However, physically kicking the ball is only one element of a good passing technique. Good passing relies on the control and awareness of the player making the pass, but also on the positioning and movement of the player receiving the ball.

Close Control

Good passing begins even before you have received the ball. To a large extent, the speed at which you can control the ball determines how much time you’ll have to make your own pass. Players who take several touches to bring the ball under control will often find themselves under pressure from an opposition player as they try to pass the ball. The only way to improve close control is through practice. You can do this either with another player, passing the ball to each other, or even by kicking the ball against a wall and controlling the rebound. As your skills improve you can develop them further with drills involving small groups of players which force you to control the ball when under pressure.

Awareness

Awareness is important in all aspects of soccer but particularly when passing. Even before you receive the ball you should be aware of the positions of players around you and where the goals are. Even before you receive the ball you should know the situation around you and have an idea of where you will pass the ball and what kind of pass you will make. Improve your awareness by keeping your head up as you play, rather than looking down at the ball. Playing in small-sided games or drills where players are constantly on the move will also help you to improve your understanding of the game around you.

Timing

The timing of a pass can be crucial, particularly if your team is on the attack. If your team is moving forward and a teammate makes a forward run to receive the ball but you delay your pass, that player may stray offside, stopping play and handing possession of the ball over to the opposition. Both the player making the pass and the player receiving the ball share responsibility for getting the timing right. You can improve the timing of your passing by playing small games with three or four players on each team, in which each player keeps moving. The constant movement means you will be giving and receiving passes that need to be timed correctly. Your timing is also likely to improve the more you play with your teammates.

Speed

Speed of passing can be a formidable weapon on the soccer field. Top Spanish team Barcelona has developed a style of play known as “tika taka” that depends on numerous short, quick passes. “Tika taka” lets Barcelona keep possession for impressively large proportions of the game; in the 2010-2011 Spanish league season the team held the ball for an average of 73.4 percent of every game. In each league game the players completed an average of 747 passes, just over 200 more than any other top European team. Most of these passes are made quickly over short distances and the Barcelona players typically only touch the ball once or twice before passing it on. This kind of skill level is hard to master but you can develop your own skills by doing drills in which only one or two touches are allowed before you must pass the ball.